Previously, broadcast technology was the preferred method for distributing audio and video media content and its associated advertising. Printed paper was relied upon for distributing the written word. Advances in technology, including the internet, have provided new methods of distributing media content. Older forms of media distribution employ relatively crude methods to measure consumer exposure to media and the advertising within it, such as circulation figures and small surveys of audiences. Modern distribution technology permits more precise tracking and measurement of consumer exposure to media and the advertisements within it. Modern technology also enables advertisements to be more accurately targeted towards profiled consumers whom an advertiser seeks to reach. As a result, advertisers now expect better targeting and more precise measurement of exposure when advertising using modern technology.
Various systems and machines have been devised or proposed for delivering media that offer alternatives to traditional broadcast technology. These include distribution by dedicated cable networks and by streaming over the internet. Some of these systems involve connections back to media providers that permit media providers and advertisers to measure exposure of consumers to their media and advertisements. On occasions, these systems permit consumers to interact with the media producers or advertisers. Some allow providers to gather information about consumers so that advertisements appropriate to each consumer's interests can be directed towards them.
Many consumers prefer to download media and store it on electronic devices. The consumers are then exposed to the media and advertisements at a later time when they are not connected to the media providers. Providers can measure the number of times an item of media has been downloaded. However, the absence of a connection prevents media providers from measuring the number of times consumers have actually accessed the downloaded item, or whether they have been fully or partially exposed to the media and associated advertising. Furthermore, downloading media impedes interaction with consumers, limits the extent to which their interests can be assessed and complicates the process of targeting relevant advertisements.
In an attempt to address this problem, systems and machines have been devised that transmit details of consumers' offline exposure to media and advertisements back to the provider when the consumer re-establishes a connection. Some also transmit details of consumers' offline interaction with media or advertisements when the consumer re-establishes a connection. These systems and machines suffer from a problem. In order for a provider to obtain this information about offline consumer behavior, consumers are required to access downloaded media content through a dedicated device or software application. The widespread availability of media and the multitude of ways to access it mean that the requirement for a dedicated device or software application is a limiting factor that can prevent commercialization.
Present methods of media delivery over the internet therefore suffer from significant disadvantages. Exposure to media and advertisements that consumers access over dedicated networks, or streamed over the internet, can be measured. Exposure can also be measured when content is downloaded using a provider's dedicated device or software application that reports back offline usage. However, exposure cannot be measured when consumers access downloaded media using other devices or software applications. Many providers find the majority of consumers accessing their media through this last method and are unable to measure exposure to their content precisely. They therefore struggle to sell advertisements against it.